Muni to halt all light-rail and underground service

Beginning Monday, March 30, all Muni metro and light-rail routes will be replaced by buses during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order. This means that all light-rail trains, which service underground and above ground routes, will cease operating until further notice.

Passengers can take bus substitutions for the J, KT, L, M, and N lines using the same bus stops as the early morning Metro bus service, according to SFMTA.

All Muni metro subway stations (West Portal, Forest Hill, Castro, Church, Van Ness) will be closed, except for downtown stations (Civic Center, Powell, New Montgomery, Embarcadero) which will stay open for passengers using BART.

According to SFMTA, “Closing the Muni Metro underground system will allow us to redirect custodial resources to other, higher-use facilities and minimizes risk to our station agents.” Based on the agency’s ridership data, it doesn’t expect changes “to impact the ability of our riders and operators to maintain social distance.”

Although the rail system will be closed to customers, SFMTA will continue its maintenance work to vehicles and infrastructure.

In addition to the subway closure, Muni Rapid routes—like the 5R, 9R, 28R, and 38R—will be temporarily discontinued. But the 14R Mission Rapid route will remain in service.